Wondering About Hemp? Wonder No More
CBD’s been getting A LOT of attention recently...and while that’s most definitely a good thing, we don’t want the plant it comes from to feel overlooked. That’s why this blog will be all about hemp!
For those unaware, hemp is the plant that nearly all CBD products (CBD oil, edibles, topicals, etc) come from. So you could say it’s pretty important!
As it turns out, the human species and the hemp plant go way back. But before jumping in the time machine, here’s some stats you should know about hemp:
- High in CBD
- Low in THC
- High in terpenes
- High in healthy fats
- Flowers once a year
- Tall, thin, and hearty
- Thousands of uses
The History of Hemp
Hemp makes its first appearance 2,500+ years ago, in ancient manuscripts like the Yoga Veda and Papyri, a collection of ancient Egyptian scrolls.
Those texts referenced its use for all sorts of stuff: gout, seizures, arthritis, inflammatory conditions, and more. Readers were encouraged to prepare a paste of hemp and apply it to problematic areas, which almost foreshadows the popularity of CBD topicals today.
Fast forward to the 1800s, when a British physician working in India was shocked — in a good way — by the effectiveness of traditional cannabis and hemp treatments. As soon as he could he brought hemp back to the West with him, declaring it “an anticonvulsant of the greatest value.”
(In the early 1900s the dark ages of prohibition followed...but soon enough hemp would make a comeback and reach the point it’s at today.)
Chemicals and Compounds
So, why is hemp so popular? That’s a good question — and we’ll try to get to the heart of it.
While virtually all plants have characteristic health benefits, hemp is unique. It’s an annual flowering plant, which means it ‘flowers’ (produces buds) once a year in the fall.
And every year, hemp manages to produce within itself an amazingly diverse set of compounds. The latest estimates say ~400 natural chemical compounds total! Included are a little over a hundred cannabinoids (CBD is just one of them), approximately 200 terpenes, and dozens of flavonoids (including the unique-to-hemp-and-cannabis Cannflavins), chalcones, and other interesting things.
It’s practically aromatherapy in a bottle. Leading researchers call the plant “a pharmacological treasure trove.” In other words, hemp is so complex that we still have lots of treasures — health benefits — to unearth.
Bringing Hemp to You
So, what’s the best way to harness hemp’s natural power? That’s a debatable matter...and likely a personalized one, too.
The good news is that there are now more options than ever. One can take CBD oil, which is basically hemp extract infused into an inactive ‘carrier oil’...they can eat CBD-infused edibles or gummies...they can use a tried-and-true CBD topical.
Those who are especially zealous for plant power can diversify and take a little of everything! And why not? Not many other substances have such a long standing track record...
